Following up on complaints from neighbors, police began a stakeout of Juan Jantum’s house. A steady stream of people coming and going from the house made the decision to investigate an easy one. Juan Jantum’s house was obviously being used to distribute drugs.

Coastal city Mar del Plata is a top vacation spot for Argentines.

At 1:50 am on March 4th, police witnessed a woman arrive by taxi, enter the house and exit a few minutes later. They apprehended her as she walked out, the two doses of acid in her purse causing the expected arrest. It was, however, a shock to find out that the person in custody was in fact a man named Sergio. Despite being caught red-handed, there are no arrest records for Sergio, probably owing as much to her baritone protestations of innocence as to what happened next.

Entering the house, the police quickly found more than enough evidence to make an arrest. Scattered about the house and largely prepped for distribution, were more than 4 kilos of marijuana and 600 grams of cocaine. Jantum (45, aka “Ruben Castro”, aka “Piti”, aka ‘Pepe”) was indignant at losing his wares and being hauled off to jail. Accusing the police of kidnapping his drugs, he shouted, “I have judicial protection!”

Cops uncovered a major corruption
scandal in Mar del Plata, Argentina

Confounded, the police wondered exactly just what he meant. As Jantum happily explained, he was legally allowed to sell the drugs because they were “taken from the evidence vault of the Federal Court.”

After being assured that there is no such thing as “judicial protection” for dealing drugs, Jantum quickly implicated everybody in his operation. Beginning with Jose “Chico” Tarantino, a local mechanic who delivered the drugs, on up to the Court Clerks and Guards who stole the drugs and finally to the Federal Judge who adjusted the evidence records to show that the drugs were never there.

Sensing they were on the verge of breaking a major public corruption case, the police moved quickly and quietly. Paperwork for their arrest was held to keep it out of the public record and avoid raising Judge Roberto Falcone’s suspicions. Turns out they needn’t have been so cagey.

Falcone was already raising eyebrows around the court house, having in the same week brazenly pocketed $400 in walking around money from the evidence vault. A quick review of records showed that Falcone was not even trying to hide his tracks, recently adjusting 20 kilos of marijuana from the evidence reports with no explanation provided.

The court clerk, Facundo Capparelli, had noticed the discrepancies and when confronted by police admitted to knowing of the thefts. Asked as to why he hadn’t felt the need to file a report he shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Report what? We’re going to burn everything.”

Sure enough that same day Capparelli signed an order to incinerate all of the drugs stored in the vault, thus destroying all evidence of the crimes. Public Prosecutor Adrian Peres was able to secure a court injunction preventing the burning and allowing an inspection of the vault. Peres discovered massive amounts of contraband were missing:

Court proceedings start this week in Mar del Plata.

64 kilos of Marijuana and 8 plants,
11.5 kilos of Cocaine,
49 doses of LSD,
239 tablets of Ecstasy,
12 doses of PCP and,
2 Hallucinogenic Mushrooms.

Later chemical tests confirmed that the drugs found in Jantum’s house were in fact from the federal evidence vault.

Court proceedings open this week in the cases against Capparelli, Jantum and Tarantino. No word on whether or not “Sergio” will be making an appearance to recount her tale of the fateful evening.

Honorable Roberto Falcone is still sitting on the federal judiciary, as no charges have been brought against him. He is also serving on a Congressional Advisory Committee on Issues surrounding the Repression of Drug Traffickers and Complex Criminality.

Related

Juicio a dos secretarios y un policía por el robo de droga de un tribunal (Clarin)

Drogas en Mar del Plata, episodio II. Jueces, policías y una historia de novela (El Ojo Digital)

Intercambiando

- No Respite From Smoke Until Wednesday

- Government Blames Farmers For the Delta Blaze

- BsAs Darkened By Smoke From Delta Grass Fires

UPDATE 4/23 7:42 The dense cloud of smoke has returned to Buenos Aires, bringing with it a familiar smell and the expected round of transportation cuts. Visibility has dropped to 400m in the city and large sections of Rutas 9, 12 and 14 are all closed. Retiro bus station has stopped service to the northern part of Argentina as well as Brazil and Uruguay.

UPDATE 4/18 17:42 The Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) is stating that winds from the north will continue through next Tuesday, bringing a steady stream of smoke into Buenos Aires. SMN additionally warns that the smoke will be especially bad this evening, resulting in "zero visibility in the city."

UPDATE 4/18 17:26 The Government has filed formal charges against 200 farm owners for the Parana Delta wildfire. In an attempt to distance the charges from the ongoing campo negotiations, Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo appeared on Radio 10 and stated that the charges have "nothing to do with the discussions with the agricultural sector."

With grass fires in the Delta still raging out of control, the smoke in the Capital is becoming increasingly intense. The poor visibility has forced the government to declare an emergency and close many of the main entrances to Capital Federal. The Panamericana between Campana and Pilar, autopista La Plata-Buenos Aires from Hudson to the Capital, and Rutas 9 and 12 are all closed to road traffic.

Additionally, Retiro station has suspended bus departures indefinitely and the Aeroparque Metropolitano is only operational for departures. Supte line C is closed and all other lines are operating with significant delays.

NASA Image showing the fire locations – outlined in red. The fire has spread to over 270 sq-miles.

According to Ernesto Arriaga, a spokesperson for the Direccion de Vialidad Nacional, there are locations where visibility on the autopistas drops to as low as 5 meters. On the highway connecting Ezeiza airport and Capital visibility never exceeds 200 meters.

The Servicio Meteorologica Nacional (SMN) is reporting that because of an "unusual phenomenon" the smoke will continue to hang over Buenos Aires for the foreseeable future. Winds from the North are transporting smoke from the Delta fires into the city and according to the SMN, "if the fires continue to be active, the smoke will persist."

The Secretary of the Environment, Romina Picolotti, has acknowledged that so long as the fire in the Delta continues, the dense smoke covering the city will continue. Picolotti has also said that the government is unable to stop the blaze, and is currently only working on containing the fire which has spread into Entre Rios. In statements to Radio Americano, Picolotti said that the fire will only be brought under control "if nature helps us."

Smoke blanketing the city of Buenos Aires.

Related:

Por la acción de los vientos, el humo se quedará varios días (Clarin)

Cerraron los principales accesos a la Capital Federal (Clarin)

El humo se incrementa y complica los accesos a Capital; emergencia vial (La Nacion)

Smoke on the Water…. and in the Sky Over Buenos Aires (A Texan in Argentina – Personal Blog)

UPDATE 4/18 17:42 The Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) is stating that winds from the north will continue through next Tuesday, bringing a steady stream of smoke into Buenos Aires. SMN additionally warns that the smoke will be especially bad this evening, resulting in "zero visibility in the city."

UPDATE 4/18 17:26 The Government has filed formal charges against 200 farm owners for the Parana Delta wildfire. In an attempt to distance the charges from the ongoing campo negotiations, Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo appeared on Radio 10 and stated that the charges have "nothing to do with the discussions with the agricultural sector."

Smoke clouded the Buenos Aires skyline this afternoon, the result of island grass fires in the Parana Delta. Strong winds are driving the smoke down river, creating severe visibility problems on the highways and enveloping the city in an acrid odor. The fires are located 30 minutes north of Buenos Aires and provincial governments are proving unable to extinguish them.

Buenos Aires obscured by smoke from the delta fires.

The fires are consuming grasslands in the Parana Delta, a complex network of islands, rivers and mainland, 30 minutes north of Buenos Aires. The fires are currently not accessible by overland vehicles, leaving the government with few options in extinguishing them. Firefighters are trying to dampen the flames through the use of water delivering helicopters, however that is proving ineffective as the fires rage on into the second week.

The provincial governments are working in tandem to prevent the fires from moving upriver and into the farming pastures of Entre Rios.

The Interior Ministry closed over 200km of highways today as a safety precaution. With visibility described as "virtually zero," the notoriously dangerous Ruta 9 became impassable. Already this week numerous accidents on Ruta 9 have left 4 dead and more than 20 injured.

Two men suspected of starting the fires have been detained by police, although neither has been charged with a crime. The authorities are still searching for the cause of the fires.

www.lnteve.com

Related

Otra vez, humo y mal olor llegaron a Capital (Clarin)

El Gobierno prohíbe circular en un tramo de la ruta 9 (INFOBAE.com)

Smoky (GoodAirs)

Smoky Skies (line of sight)

Fire Haze Shrouds Argentine Capital (Washington Post)

"I would really like a military dictatorship like the one of Juan Perón. When he made you disappear, you stayed disappeared!" Carl proclaims in the episode. The comment occurs during a beer-fueled discussion about politics in Moe’s Tavern.

It was in fact, not Perón’s regime but a 1976-83 military dictatorship following his rule that disappeared 30,000 Argentine citizens. The show isn’t due to air in Argentina until June or July, but clips of the scene posted to YouTube have already been viewed over 120,000 times.

The director of COMFER, Gabriel Mariotto, won’t acquiesce to Pepe’s demand, deciding that "Argentine society has matured and it would be irrational" to censure the episode. This would appear to be the last word on the matter as COMFER is the government agency tasked with regulating radio and television in Argentina.

Lorenzo Pepe isn’t the only government official in Latin America fighting against The Simpsons . Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez recently took the popular series off of the air in his country, calling the show “inappropriate” for children. The series apparently ran afoul of a law which prohibits “messages that go against the education of boys, girls and adolescents.”

In Venezuela the series has been replaced by re-runs of Baywatch Hawaii .

Sabat’s Cartoon from Clarin

Kirchner began her April 1st pro-government rally in Plaza de Mayo by holding up Hermenegildo Sabat’s cartoon and railing against it for several minutes. Calling Sabat "cuasi mafioso" she declared that she would not be quieted and didn’t understand the intent of the cartoon.

Noted Argentine humorist Enrique Pinte tried to clarify the political message for Christina during En Perspectiva la Segunda Mañana . "She took it like a mafia message to shut-up. How is the president of the republic, with the power that she has, going to believe that what he is saying is to shut-up? What he is saying is every time you speak, you fuck it up. "

The following week Luis D’Elia, a militant protest leader and former member of the administration, took to the airwaves to continue the attacks on the media. Last seen physically assaulting peaceful protesters by the Obelisco, D’Elia pulled no punches against Grupo Clarin. Clarin’s 24-hour new station, Canal 13, "is aways putting a pistol to the head of democracy" declared D’Elia. "Before you used dictatorship to remove people, today the media is the dictatorship."

Luis D’Elía Confronting Anti-Kirchner Protesters

Curiously, it was Canal 13 which provided D’Elia the forum to express his views.

Even Kirchner’s son, Maximo, has taken to the streets and is leading a piquetero movement against Grupo Clarin. Maximo began his campaign during Christina’s pro-government speech by leading a group of anti-Clarin protesters. Controlling a group of 500 piqueteros who answer only to him, Maximo has since initiated several noisy protests against Grupo Clarin.

Maximo had previously expressed a desire to be a journalist himself, but with admittedly little inclination for studies his dream came to an early end. Following in his parents footsteps, Maximo is currently pursuing elected positions in Patagonia.

Argentine media outlets have not taken the recent attacks lightly. A barrage of anti-Kirchner political satire has been printed in recent days, and is sure to continue as the Kirchners try to silence their critics.

ForniCard Ad printed in Perfil – "To be the queen of an entire country, Priceless."

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El hijo de Néstor y Cristina armó la ofensiva anti-prensa (Perfil)

Top Kirchner Thug, D’Elía Now Attacking The Press (ATexaninArgentina)

Priceless (GoodAirs)

Luis D’Elía a los golpes (Video – Mefeedia.com)

Dr. Lector (Creator of the Priceless ad)

Construction in Plaza Matheu.
Photo From: Cronica

The construction began shortly after Easter, when “a group of people took over the public space, removed all of the playground equipment, the benches, and even the trees.” Shortly there-after “a truck brought bricks and they began to build”, the angry city residents said.

Neighbors of Matheu plaza protested to the municipal and provincial government yesterday, desperately pleading to have the builders evicted. The residents are becoming frantic as "construction is advancing quickly" and nobody is taking measures to halt it. The neighbors are hopeful that Governor Hermes Binner will act hastily; otherwise the plaza will be the new residence for two of the area’s more industrious families.

Related
Usurparon Una Plaza (Cronica)

The most recent threat forced the school to evacuate 4,000 students and staff at midday as bomb squads searched the buildings. As in the previous 60 times, no bomb was found.

Schools throughout Buenos Aires received 100 bomb threats last year, with 60 reported at Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini alone.

Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini alone

The bomb threats at Carlos Pellegrini were sparked by changes in school curriculum, an explosive topic at a school highly respected for it’s academic rigor. The competitive school carries a reputation for having a militant student body and at one point bomb threats were being called in daily, bringing the school year to a halt. The inability to stem the bomb threats and open a dialog with the students led to the resignation of the school’s rector, Juan Carlos Viegas. Interim rector Hector Pastorino led off the school year with an interview on Radio 10 where he refused to make any changes to the curriculum.

The resumption of bomb threats followed shortly there after.

Using call records police were able to track some of the threats to the cell phone of a 13-year-old boy, but he was not accused of calling in all 60 threats. The recent bomb threat remains unsolved.

Related

Wikipedia: Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini

Official Site: Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini (Spanish)

Volvieron las Amenazas de Bomba al Carlos Pellegrini (Clarin)

More than 57,000 people have contracted disease this year – nearly double the 25,107 cases reported in all of 2007, according to the Associated Press.

This week 1,200 soldiers from the armed forces will be deployed to set up three field hospitals, while an additional 500 will spray insecticide and place poison in standing puddles of water where the mosquitoes breed, according to Brazilian health care secretary Jose Noronha.

He said: "The number of deaths is totally above expectations that could be considered reasonable."

Locals have been enlisted in the fight against dengue. Over 2,000 citizens have been tasked with inspecting houses and destroying street waste.

"We have been collecting carafes, cups, all kinds of recipients where mosquitoes could reproduce," said Luiz Ventura, a volunteer who took part in the initiative.

The World Health Organization believes a death rate at or below 1% of the population is acceptable. In Rio just over 5% of cases result in death.

Dengue fever is a viral disease spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, and currently has no vaccine.

Related

Gymnastics World Champ Diego Hypolito Confirmed With Dengue In Brazil (International Herald Tribune)

Dengue fever in Natal (Brazil Travel Blog)

Dengue fever is caused by a virus, which is transmitted by a mosquito (AEDES AEGYPTI). This mosquito is dark, with white stripes on its back and legs, and smaller than a common mosquito. These mosquitoes breed in clean, stagnant water. The mosquito is considered a “day” mosquito. It bites during the day and likes warm, humid places.

Signs and Symptoms of Dengue Fever

After the infecting bite, dengue symptoms develop within 3 to 14 days (on average, 4 to 7 days). Victims typically experience a sudden high fever, headache, generalized weakness, and intense muscle, joint, and low back pain (hence the term, "break bone fever"). A subtle rash appears in up to half the people affected, although some have a bright red rash with scattered clear spots. Treatment is purely symptomatic. Dengue is usually self-limited, with an average duration of 6 days. Most persons with dengue do not need to be hospitalized, but those with persistent fever should seek medical attention as soon as possible

Hemorrhagic Dengue Fever (DHF): and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) are rare but severe forms of dengue that may occur in people who previously have been infected with one strain of dengue virus and are later infected by a different strain (there are 4 strains). DHF and DSS begin like classic dengue but progress to abdominal pain and vomiting. The most severe cases, if left untreated, can progress to bleeding at sites of minimal trauma, circulatory failure, shock, and death. DHF and DSS ordinarily affect only people who live in endemic areas, but there have been rare cases reported in travelers. Because of this, travelers who previously have had an episode of dengue fever and who will be re-entering a dengue-endemic area should be aware of the increased possibility of acquiring these severe forms of dengue and should seek medical attention as soon as symptoms appear. Travelers with persistent fever should be seen by a healthcare professional. Severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, an abrupt change from fever to hypothermia with profuse sweating, extreme exhaustion, lethargy, or mental status changes signal the development of shock and require immediate intensive care level medical attention.

How can you prevent the disease?

There is no vaccine for Dengue. Prevention is based upon taking careful measures to reduce the possibility of mosquito bites. Travelers are strongly encouraged to wear light clothing which completely covers arms and legs, and to apply an effective insect repellant, such as those containing DEET, to exposed areas of skin. The control of Dengue epidemics is based upon reduction of the mosquito population. Dengue may be more likely to occur in urban setting due to drainage issues. Eliminating standing water in your home and environment including flower pots, tires, puddles, non-chlorinated pools, etc., and screening windows, and wearing insect repellent are strongly recommended.

For further information on Dengue Fever, see the Centers for Disease Control’s website at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/submenus/sub_dengue.htm

Suddenly the lack of working fire extinguishers, exposed wiring and water damage in the ceiling didn’t seem so important.

Next to mozzarella cheese, ham, packaged chickens, chivitos and several kilos of rancid meat, were the carefully placed carcasses of two dogs. Both dogs were missing their heads and coats, leading the inspectors to believe that the meat was being used for empanada filling .

The inspectors also discovered that the restaurant was disposing of animal waste and rendered fat by dumping it in the municipal water supply.

The restaurant has been closed indefinitely, and it is unknown how many customers ate the empanadas with dog filling or for how long the restaurant had been serving dog meat.

French was located at Thorne 1461 in the "9 of Septiembre" district of Ituzaingó, a barrio in northern Buenos Aires.

Related

Cierran una pizzería que rellenaba empanadas con carne de perro (InfoBAE.com)

Empanada Recipes – How to Make Empanadas (Latinfood.About.com)

Fodor’s Top Rated Pizza Places in Buenos Aires (Fodors)

Secretary of Interior Commerce Guillermo Moreno, called for emergency powers to be enacted, but final approval rested with the President of the Argentina Chamber of Commerce, Juan Eiras. In order to secure approval, Moreno made numerous "threatening" phone calls to members of the Chamber of Commerce, promising police action against the farms should Eiras resist. By enacting the emergency powers, known as ley de abastecimiento (supply law), the state claims the power to confiscate personal property without providing compensation.

Immediately following the enactment of the supply law, 50 Federal police accompanied by 5 transport trucks raided livestock corrals and forced the ranchers to surrender the animals for slaughter. Initially the trucks were unable to access the ranches, due to dirt berms placed across the roadway by protesting ranchers.

The previous week government forces had tried to quietly secure livestock for slaughter, but were stymied by numerous road closures due to the ongoing protests.

The only news report of the government action was in the online version of La Nacion. This is largely because ranchers are refusing to talk to media outlets on the record, out of fears of government reprisal.

In an additional move to secure produce for local stores, the government is blocking the export of beef from Argentina. At least four transport ships were forced to unload their cargo and return the product for local consumption.

"We were instructed that we could not load containers with meat, and if they were already loaded they had to be removed," said the director of one shipping company, who requested anonymity.

Export regulations are controlled by Lousteau, who was unaware that cargo ships were being forced to unload their containers. Guillermo Moreno ordered the cargo ships blocked, portending a reemerging power struggle between the two governmental agencies.

A week after the strike was called off, supply lines are still having trouble restocking the store shelves. Shortages of meat and produce are still being reported in neighborhoods throughout greater Buenos Aires.

Related:

Government vs. Campo: Reaping What They Sow (Through The Tube)

Moreno hizo cumplir la ley de abastecimiento (La Nacion)

More Economic Good News (GoodAirs)